The conditions made the unsustainable Chinese tournament, as also complained by Djokovic and Rune. The Association will have to intervene and regulate the suspension in some cases, as WTA already does
“Do you want a player to die on the pitch?”. These hard words of Holger Rune well summarize what is happening in the last few days at the Shanghai Masters 1000. Retires, ailments in the field, inability to conclude the games. The most striking case was that of Terence Atmane, which was collapsed on the ground before retiring in his first round. However, what happened to Jannik Sinner in the third round match against Tallon Griekspoor: cramps, very violent, that the blue has also tried to endure, did even more noise. But, thanks to the asphyxiating heat and the very high humidity rate, which are the roots of Shanghai’s problems, he did not make it. The image of Sinner who leaves the sweaty field and leaning against the physiotherapist, shortly after he almost also collapsed on the ground, will remain in the memory for a long time. But it is only the culmination of an unsustainable situation.
others
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Even before the conclusion of third rounds there were seven retreats in the Chinese tournament, three of which on Sunday 5 October. The Shanghai thermometer touched peaks of 33 degrees, almost 40 perceived, with a humidity above 85%. Inhuman conditions, in which to play tennis and make the most of it becomes extremely complicated. The result was also a bright example the third round between Hanfmann and Djokovic, in which the Serbian threw twice on the pitch. “Playing in these conditions is brutal,” he then sentenced. On the other hand, also Fritz, eliminated, and Zverev in his victory in the second round, have accused problems related to excessive heat. Which does not even allow the body to recover the best between one point and another. And, however much there is the possibility of suspending the game for adverse weather conditions that can put individual safety at risk (for example lightning nearby or hurricanes), this heat does not fall into this category from the regulatory point of view. And the elasticity of the referees is not enough, good at being less rigid than usual on the shot clock and field changes. You need an intervention on the rulebook.
The example WTA
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The association that rules female tennis has taken a position in this sense. On the Italian night between Sunday 5 and Monday 6 October, always in China, Wuhan’s first round of WTA 1000 was held between Elise Mertens and Polina Kudermetova. The thermometer recited 34 degrees, in full average with what happens to Shanghai since the beginning of the tournament. Result? The game was suspended for excessive heat, taking advantage of the “Heat rule” on page 372 of the WTA rulebook: “The suspension of the game will be defined when the thermal stress index (WBGT) reaches or exceeds 32.2 degrees Celsius or when the heat index (apparent temperature) reaches or exceeds 40.1 degrees Celsius”. Situation that occurred, definitely similar to what happened in Shanghai, and consequent suspension of the game until acceptable game conditions have returned. A rule that ATP has not yet included, but it would need. The signs had been in Cincinnati, the confirmations arrived in Shanghai.
Slam
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The four Slams have their own regulations and more easily applicable to individual situations, taking place in the same place and in the same period every year. The Australian Open and US Open, the most at risk from the point of view of extreme heat, have taken for a while. For example, in Melbourne there is a Heat Stress Scale, calculated based on the aforementioned WBGT (which takes into account air temperature, humidity, wind speed and irradiation): at grade three we use tools to cool the body temperature (ice in the towels), at the grade four there are ten minutes of break (for men after the third set) and at five the game is suspended on the external fields. A more manageable model, being conditions that are roughly repeated. On the main fields, however, the roof closes. Solution that, it is clear, is not taxable as a rule.
The roof is not the solution
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In Shanghai, as in the Slam and in some 1000 tournaments, there is the retractable roof on the two main fields. Clearly, closing it, the humidity problem would be canceled and you could have an acceptable temperature. But there are various contraindications: it would make an outdoor tournament indoor, upsetting the conditions; a margin of advantage would be given to those who play on the main fields, that is the big names; Above all, it would not be usable as a general rule because not all tournaments are equipped with a roof. Therefore, although in extreme conditions the temptation is strong and could also be worth it, it would not be desirable or feasible to make the roof closing a fixed rule. And the ATP is called, after various complaints and episodes (such as Nardi who changes the shoes because it is too sweaty and dangerous, being able to make the soil slippery), to give an answer.
How to move the ATP
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Clearly the male association has not yet taken a word or measures, being the tournament in progress and all recent events. But it is desirable that it does it as soon as possible. At least trying to establish a general threshold that can lead to the suspension of the game, regardless of what the event is. The ATP, based on the WBGT, should add a rule to its rulebook that regulates this type. This index is in fact the only universal indicator capable of judging whether and how much the conditions are suitable or not regardless of the place. There had been, Sinner and Griekspoor would have been entitled to the “modification of the game”, that is, the suspension of 10 minutes between second and third sets. Would he really have recorded on Sinner’s retreat, perhaps avoiding it? Difficult to know. However, it would probably have spared us hard and not easy scenes to digest when they involve professional athletes, from Jannik to Atmane to Djokovic. Who can however act as a warning, in the interest of tennis and the health of the players. In order to grant him the right space and possibilities to express themselves at their best, avoiding the risk of unpleasant episodes.
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